


If and Only If

by deplore



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 08:40:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13923468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deplore/pseuds/deplore
Summary: Spoilers for Revolver's real name. If an avatar is merely incarnation, then how much of identity is performance?“I’m Playmaker, and Playmaker is me, so it’s simple logic. If A implies B and B implies A, then the two conditions are always mutually true or mutually false,” Yusaku answers.“A textbook definition of a biconditional statement,” Revolver replies, sounding somewhat amused. “Though that’s to be expected, it was already obvious that you’ve studied programming diligently. But since that’s case, you should know that doesn’t mean A and B have the same inherent meaning. It only means that they share truth.”Yusaku frowns – he does know what Revolver means from the standpoint of pure mathematical logic, but there’s something strange about the way Revolver phrases it. “You’re overcomplicating things. I’m the same person no matter where I am or what I look like,” he says. “I don’t see why it should be any other way.”“You’re a very pure individual,” Revolver comments.“Excuse me, butwhat,” Yusaku cuts in flatly.





	If and Only If

**Author's Note:**

> This was written after EP42 and takes place in a hypothetical future scenario where Revolver is on the protagonists' side now. Which, given that this is a YGO series, seems about 85% likely to happen either way. Please be aware this fic is rather headcanon heavy!
>
>> _In logic and mathematics, the logical biconditional is the logical connective of two statements asserting "a if and only if b". In the propositional interpretation, a ⇔ b means that a implies b and b implies a; in other words, that the propositions are equivalent, that is to say, either true or false at the same time. This does not mean that they have the same meaning. Example: "The triangle ABC has two equal sides", and "The triangle ABC has two equal angles"._   
> 

In real life, Kogami Ryoken is courteous to a dispassionate fault, as if he learned the right words to say and things to do, but never the reason behind why those manners are considered correct. Yusaku comes to realize that after the fourth time that Ryoken makes both of them coffee during a weekend coding session despite the fact that Ryoken barely drank any of his coffee the three times before, and Yusaku’s not sure what to make of it. “I decided to take a break and thought I may as well prepare some coffee for you too,” Ryoken says, setting down a tray with two cups of coffee along with a little bowl with sugar cubes and a small pitcher with creamer in it.

Yusaku has an inkling that the reason he always prepares coffee is that Yusaku had answered “Sure, coffee then” the first time Ryoken asked if he wanted anything to drink. If Ryoken has a different preference, then Yusaku has no idea what it is. There’s a lot, Yusaku supposes, that he doesn’t know about Ryoken and isn’t sure if he should be curious about – for example, Yusaku wonders if Ryoken’s done this because he’d noticed that Yusaku’s been stuck on the same line of his code for a while.

“Thanks,” Yusaku says, putting his screens to sleep before slumping back in his seat as he picks up a mug, putting two sugar cubes into it and stirring a dash of creamer into the mug for good measure.

“No need for thanks,” Ryoken replies, sitting down across from Yusaku. “It’s the least I can do.”

“You do a lot more useful stuff than this,” Yusaku counters. “Whenever you say things like that, it makes me think that you’re not very much like how you act in Link VRAINS.”

“Well, of course I’m not,” Ryoken says, after a pause. “I’m not Revolver in real life, I’m Kogami Ryoken. That’s how it is for most people, isn’t it?”

“I’ve never thought about it,” Yusaku replies, glancing down at his mug of coffee before taking a sip. “It doesn’t concern me, it was just… an observation. That’s all.”

When Yusaku looks back up, Ryoken is staring at him; their eyes lock and Yusaku is compelled to not glance away. “But you’re thinking about it now. So let me ask: are you the same as Playmaker?” Ryoken says, crossing his hands over the table in front of him. “And conversely, is Playmaker the same as Fujiki Yusaku? Or do you consider those two questions to be the same thing?”

“I’m Playmaker, and Playmaker is me, so it’s simple logic. If A implies B and B implies A, then the two conditions are always mutually true or mutually false,” Yusaku answers.

“A textbook definition of a biconditional statement,” Ryoken replies, sounding somewhat amused. “Though that’s to be expected, it was already obvious that you’ve studied programming diligently. But since that’s case, you should know that doesn’t mean A and B have the same inherent meaning. It only means that they share truth.”

Yusaku frowns – he does know what Ryoken means from the standpoint of pure mathematical logic, but there’s something strange about the way Ryoken phrases it. “You’re overcomplicating things. I’m the same person no matter where I am or what I look like,” he says. “I don’t see why it should be any other way.”

“You’re a very pure individual,” Ryoken comments.

“Excuse me, but _what_ ,” Yusaku cuts in flatly.

Ryoken smiles vaguely, in a way that seems deliberately unreadable. “It wasn’t an insult. And I’m not talking about virtue, either – rather, I think it’s rare nowadays for people to have such a unified vision of their own self,” he says. “In the modern era, we are constantly bombarded with external expectations… we’re asked to adhere to certain conventions, to behave in certain ways. So to live up to those expectations, many people try to project an external image of themselves to others that doesn’t match how they actually see themselves internally… I think that’s why people tend to act differently in Link VRAINS than they do in real life.”

Yusaku more or less grasps what Ryoken’s getting at: it’s the core reason why Blue Angel acts nothing like Zaizen Aoi, or why a friendless loner like Shima Naoki pretends to be a hero in Link VRAINS. He grasps it, but something about it doesn’t _agree_ with him. After a brief pause to contemplate, he replies, “But people don’t have to do that. They don’t have to act like somebody they’re not. Isn’t that just exhausting?”

“That’s why I said you’re very pure,” Ryoken says. “You don’t change yourself for others, nor for anybody else’s ideals. In that sense, you’re always true to yourself. I find it admirable… well, perhaps admirable isn’t the right word for it. _Remarkable_ , rather.”

Then there’s a pause that doesn’t last for more than a second or two – but Ryoken’s expression changes, his calm veneer cracking. His smile lapses and he looks almost scared – or perhaps, Yusaku thinks, he looks deeply _vulnerable_ , like a child unable to comprehend that which he fears. “And yes,” Ryoken continues, after he’s composed himself again. “In many ways, it is very exhausting to be somebody you don’t feel you actually are.”

Yusaku doesn’t care much for the subtleties of human interaction, but instinctively he understands this much: Kogami Ryoken has indirectly told him a secret that he doubts anybody else has ever heard, a truth held so close to his heart that surrendering it must feel like baring his soul for Yusaku’s judgment. _Kogami Ryoken didn’t choose to become Revolver. Revolver is who he_ needed _to become._

He closes his eyes and sighs deeply before opening them again, looking Ryoken head-on. There is something in Ryoken’s gaze that denies perception; his eyes are so bright, but they reflect like a mirror, unwilling to let anybody to read what feelings and emotions lie underneath, almost more masklike than the actual mask his Link VRAINS avatar wears. Yusaku had thought before that Ryoken was so carefully guarded to keep others out, but now he wonders if instead it’s to protect himself.

“I don’t really know what to say to that,” Yusaku finally replies. “But I think you’re fine being as you are, whoever that is, whether that’s Revolver or Kogami Ryoken or both… or even neither. If you ask me, it’s about ten years too late to be putting up pretenses with each other, to the point where it’s kind of annoying if you do.”

After a moment, Ryoken smiles – and for perhaps the first time that Yusaku can recall, it feels like a genuine smile. His entire face relaxes and he seems almost childlike again in how unrestrained his happiness is as he says, “Thanks… I didn’t expect to be encouraged by you, so I appreciate it all the more.”

Automatically, Yusaku retorts, “It’s not encouragement.” He frowns down at his cup of coffee, taking a drink before he adds, “It’s just… how I feel, that’s all. If it’s not important to you, then you can ignore it.”

“It’s more important to me than you likely meant it to be,” Ryoken replies wryly.

Yusaku makes a noncommittal humming noise at that, and then clumsily attempts to change the topic by saying, “Your coffee’s going to get cold. Do you even like coffee in the first place? You hardly ever drink any of it.”

“I’ll let you figure that out on your own,” Ryoken says. And on that mysterious note, he opens his laptop screen and wakes up his secondary monitors, clearly putting an end to the conversation.

Taking his cue, Yusaku does the same. As he goes back to staring at his code, he realizes the point he’d been stuck on has an easy fix after all: all he needs to do is set up a biconditional statement, and the problem will take care of itself.

**Author's Note:**

> I've suspected since Revolver's "the internet world is a fiction" mini-rant that he's likely not quite so confident in real life as he is on the internet and I'm just waiting every week with baited breath to see if canon is going to destroy my sad ass or confirm it for me :'^)
> 
> On that note, which is amazingly topical to the theme of this fic, I finally stopped tormenting my Twitter followers and made a side acc for my YGO RTs ([@trisbaena](https://twitter.com/trisbaena)). Follow me please because I'm lonely but also, be warned that I'm about 3000x more incoherent on Twitter than I am here...


End file.
